T'nalak
Traditional fabric of the T’boli tribe
The T’nalak is a traditional fabric of the T’boli tribe and is woven by women who are called “dreamweavers” whose designs are inspired by their dreams. It is used for ritual purposes, as an offering to the spirits and during celebrations of major life events such as birth, marriage, and death.
The T’nalak has a distinctive tri-colour scheme: white for the pattern, red for relief elements and black or brown for the background. The T’nalak weaving process is slow and hard. Weavers first gather the abaca plant and strip the stem into fine fibers using a manual metal stripper. This process is called kedungon.
During the process tembong, the fibers are then placed on a bamboo frame where they tie the threads with plastic straw ropes to create a design which is then boiled with dye or temogo. When the fibers are dried, only does the actual weaving start. It takes almost 6 months to finish a 5m x 0.60m piece.
After weaving, the final process semaki is done, where the weavers polish the fabric with a cowrie shell to bring out its shine.
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The T’nalak is a highly revered fabric that is even used for bartering and exchangement for food and supplies in the community. It is given great significance as it symbolizes the T'bolis unwavering traditions and cultural ingenuity.
